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Shalom Sistas' Night Out Group Discussion Guide

Shalom Sistas' Night Out Group Discussion Guide

Last updated on: May 21, 2017 at 12:08 am by Osheta Moore

Shalom Sistas' Night Out Group Discussion Guide 2017-05-21T00:08:13-08:00 Osheta Moore

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Tonight, I’m meeting up with two lovely Shalom Sistas to watch the new movie, “Everything, Everything” a movie adaption of the book of the same name by Nicola Yoon. As you may remember, The Shalom Book Club discussed “The Sun is Also a Star” by Yoon on the podcast and IT WAS AMAZING. Both the book and the discussion generated so much energy, the co-hosts and I thought it would be fun to encourage y’all to plan a girls’ night out to the movie and then maybe have a discussion afterwards of the ways we saw shalom in the movie.

Well, here’s my plan for group discussion tonight. I’ll have this in a PDF in the “Peace Out” newsletter going out on Tuesday, so make sure you’re signed up.

Hey Shalom Sista! I Love Your Peacemaking Ways— Let’s be Email Friends

There are three Shalom Sista Manifesto points we see in the movie:

We Are Beloved

We Will Choose Subversive Joy

We Will Tell Better Stories

We Are Beloved

Quote from the Movie/Book:

“Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything.”

When we proclaim we are Beloved, we’re owning two things. One: That God is love and his love holds all things together, we are held and made whole by the love of God. Two: That Jesus who knew his belovedness created goodness around him, even at great personal sacrifice. Maddy said this after she admitted her love for Olly— even though it came great personal sacrifice and pain for her, she still owned her belovedness in Olly’s sight.

What does it look like for you to own your belovedness to God AND want that for other so much that you sacrifice?

We Will Choose Subversive Joy

Quote From the Movie/Book

Life is a gift. Don’t forget to live it.

When we choose subversive joy, it’s a brave, defiant act against despair. For those of us surrounded by the overwhelming pain of the world, it feels almost irresponsible to choose joy— but joy is a weapon, we only have to choose to deploy it. So, we look for joy triggers when we’re surrounded by pain triggers.

All of Maddy’s life is a pain trigger. For as long as she could remember she’s been confined to her house because of her sickness, until she had a glimmer of joy in her relationship with Olly. She continued to choose that joy and follow it even though her mother believed her to be irresponsible and insensitive.

What is something hard you’re going through? Are you surrounded by pain triggers? Let’s deactivate them by naming some things that bring us joy and make a plan to chase those in the coming weeks.

**** SPOILER******

We Will Tell Better Stories

Quote from the Movie/Book

My mother loved my father. He was the love of her life. And she loved my bother. He was the love of her life. And she loves me. I am the love of her life. The universe took my dad and brother away. For her , it was the BIG BANG in reverse—everything that became nothing.

I can understand that.

Almost.

I am trying to.

Telling better stories about the people who hurt us is HARD. No, I don’t think I was clear enough it is H.A.R.D. But, it is the way of the cross. When Jesus was dying, instead of hurling insults and curses he cried out for their forgiveness. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!” Jesus told a better story, one that offered grace and the benefit of the doubt. One that gave room for redemption. A story that restored his executors and accusers of ther humanity. As Shalom Sistas, we are called to do so as well! Ugh… Jesus, seriously, yo?

Maddy says this in the book and movie after she finds out her mother has been lying to her all her life about her sickness. She does not have SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency), the disease forced Maddy to stay inside all her life, until another doctor contacts Maddy to offer a second, more startling opinion. For eighteen years, Maddy’s mother lied to her. We find out it’s because she suffered a great trauma when her husband and toddler son died in a car accident. Maddy, telling the story of her mom’s betrayal starting with love and tragedy is an amazing example of telling a better story.

What’s a conflict you’re going through that you can diffuse, at least within your own heart by giving the other person a better story?

Ok… here’s what we’re probably chatting about tonight… that is unless we spend the whole night sharing life stories and reminiscing about first crushes!

You are Everything, Everything to me Sistas,

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